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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. can — to be able to
  4. press — a publisher
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. snap — to click
  7. chest — a box
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. branch — a division
  11. can — a tin
  12. track — a song
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. press — newspapers
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. track — a path
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. press — to push
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com